challenge

What a year we have all had on this decluttering journey together! Our home are now more functional than ever, we have simplified systems and reduced volume and we no longer have anything in our homes that doesn’t serve a purpose. You are all amazing and we thank you for sharing your stories, your successes and your challenges along the way. After all of that time and effort you have invested in creating a functional and efficient home, how do we go about keeping it that way? Five Simple Tips for Staying Organised Have a home for everything and return everything to its home…….today! OneRead More →

Wow, week 51 of this declutter challenge – your homes must be feeling fabulous and so should you from all of your great work. Decluttering and organising your home is an investment in yourself and your family that keeps paying dividends every day. You are such an expert now that this week’s challenge will probably be a quick one for you because you have such clarity now on how your home needs to function and this will help you making speedy decisions and taking the action required to implement them. It’s time to attack that drawer…you know the one….the dreaded junk drawer! Pull it outRead More →

You are all amazing at this decluttering – it is so good to hear your stories, we really appreciate you sharing! This week we are talking things that don’t take up physical space but can have such power over us and can be a huge source of anxiety – that overflowing email inbox and those lists of electronic files, bookmarks and dare we mention them, photographs! We already worked through our technology clutter (the physical items like laptops and phone in Week 40 and some of you may have found that one a breeze compared to this week – but we know you can doRead More →

This week could be a little tricky for some of you as we delve into our souvenirs and memorabilia which can be associated with memories of people, places and experiences. Most of us are sentimental creatures at heart and we can feel that throwing away items is throwing away the memories with them. We aren’t about getting rid of everything, but we do need to make informed decisions and taking action on items that we have in our homes. So how do we decide what stays and what goes? This is more complex of an answer than simply focusing on the functionality of an itemRead More →

After clearing the unwanted and out of date foodstuff last week you might have found that you have a number of empty containers hanging around without a home or a function so that is what we will be doing this week. So how do we decide what stays and what goes? This category is full of items that may “come in handy one day” or that have a clear function, but maybe not a purpose right this minute. That can make it more challenging for some in making decisions about whether they stay or go. To help you, consider these things: What’s your limit –Read More →

Time to clear out the pantry friends! Out of date spices, foodstuff, things you don’t like, won’t use – time for it all to go! So how do we decide what stays and what goes? This category could be a simple one if you choose as you can rely on use by and best before dates to get you started. If you need some further assistance to make decisions though, revisit the criteria you created during Week 1 of our challenge to assist you in making decisions and give yourself a limit. If you are new to the challenge, you can see our Week 1Read More →

We are going big this week with our large electrical appliances. For most of us, this is the fridge/s, dishwasher, washing machine, clothes dryer and any other whitegoods or big electricals you have in your home and garage. So how do we decide what stays and what goes? This category could be a simple on, particularly if you have items that are no longer used or fit for purpose. If you need some further assistance to make decisions though, revisit the criteria you created during Week 1 of our challenge to assist you in making decisions. If you are new to the challenge, you canRead More →

How often do you look in your safe? Can you remember everything you have in there? Can you even remember the code it has been so long? Let’s crack this baby open and audit our safe contents! This category should be a simple and relatively quick one and you may find that you don’t need to declutter at all. Check that all contents are current, particularly paperwork. If you would like to consider paperwork retention further, you can visit our challenge blog from week 38 here. If you have some jewellery stored, do consider if they are items that are still loved and wanted. YouRead More →

We can get so focused on the “stuff” as we are decluttering and organising our homes and lose sight of the bigger picture, which is ensuring that we have a happy, healthy home for ourselves and our loved ones. It is responsible to have a first aid kit on hand as well as any necessary medications, however when was the last time you checked use-by dates or disposed of medicines that are no longer required? Having medicines that are no longer required or expired can be a real danger in your home. Some medicines lose their effectiveness over time, some can change chemical composition meaningRead More →

This week we move our attention to our littlest family members, our pets. Let’s get their “houses” decluttered and review bowls, leads, coats, carriers, medications and all of those other little bits and pieces that they have. So how do we decide what stays and what goes? If items haven’t been used for some time, belonged to a previous pet (excluding maybe a sentimental treasure), don’t fit, don’t work or are no longer fit for purpose, it is time to move them out and on. Equally as important are things that your pet doesn’t like to won’t use. Although if my pets had a choiceRead More →

You are all amazing at this decluttering – it is so good to hear your stories, we really appreciate you sharing! Because you have come so far in culling the unwanted items, you have probably found that you have emptied out a number of containers and organisers that you used to store your stuff. So how do we decide what stays and what goes? This category could be a simple one if you choose as it is now very clear in Week 41 of the challenge that you no longer have a need for the tubs, organisers, baskets, bins, hanging organisers and other items youRead More →

There is so much talk around at the moment about how much time we all spend on our devices but they are so ingrained in our lives these days aren’t they. That can mean that we have growing collections of leads, plugs, old devices and other bits and bobs, many of which we hang onto “just in case”. Well this week is the week to cull the tech! So how do we decide what stays and what goes? To help with the decision making, ask yourself the following: Do I use it? How many do I have, need and use? Does it fulfil the functionRead More →

As the sun starts to show its beautiful face and slowly defrost our bones, we feel more like getting out and about and possibly pursuing more of an exercise routine in advance of the warmer months ahead. Let’s get a head start by reviewing what we have, what we want/need/use and getting things ready for upping the ante in our exercise and sporting routines. If you are more of a winter sports person, you will already have a head start on this week’s challenge as you will have a good handle on what you are using and what no longer has a place in yourRead More →

I can hear the groans already….it is time to deal with the darn paperwork! Each and every week, paperwork is an area where a large majority of our clients struggle. It is difficult because it continues to come into our home, we need to make decisions about every piece and often take some further action and some things we need to retain. We are also going to review the storage of our paperwork this week, and the things that we store them in. Before we get started though, the very first thing we need is a structure for our filing system and knowledge of whatRead More →

You have certainly been hitting the floor running every week with our different challenges, so this week let’s tackle those rugs and floor mats both inside and out. So how do we decide what stays and what goes? To help with the decision making, ask yourself the following: Do I use it? Has it been in storage for months or years? How many do I have, need and use? Does it fulfil the function it was purchased for? Is it past its useful life? Put everything aside that no longer has a useful purpose or home in your home. If you need a refresher toRead More →

For a change of pace, let’s get back into the kitchen to check in on all of those small electrical appliances for beating, chopping, blending and whipping up some gourmet delights…..or just those taking up space. So how do we decide what stays and what goes? If you need a refresher, revisit the criteria you created during Week 1 of our challenge to assist you in making decisions about small appliances and give yourself a limit. If you are new to the challenge, you can see our Week 1 post here. To help with the decision making, ask yourself the following: Do I use it?Read More →

Following on from last week which focused on paintings, prints and frames, we are moving onto the decorative touches around the house, including figurines, faux flowers and other trinkets and ephemera. So how do we decide what stays and what goes? Ask yourself these questions: Do I love it? Does it have good memories associated with it? Is it proudly on display or catching dust in a cupboard? Does it go well with my decor or taste? Is it functional and/or in good condition? Has it got a home or do you have room for it? If it isn’t quite that straight forward for youRead More →

This week it’s time to take a fresh look at our paintings, prints and frames – those hanging on the walls, sitting on the shelves and taking up space in our cupboards and sheds. So how do we decide what stays and what goes? Ask yourself these questions: Do I love it? Does it have good memories associated with it? Is it proudly on display or catching dust in a cupboard? Does it go well with my decor or taste? Is it functional and/or in good condition? Has it got a home or do you have room for it? If it isn’t quite that straightRead More →

Let’s head back into the laundry this week and deal with those shelves full of washing detergents, soakers, sprays and pegs and everything else that goes with the all-too-frequent task of washing. So how do we decide what stays and what goes? If you need a refresher, revisit the criteria you created during Week 1 of our challenge to assist you in making decisions about your cutlery and kitchen utensils and give yourself a limit. If you are new to the challenge, you can see our Week 1 post here. Let’s start with all of those containers of washing liquids, powders, sprays and potions toRead More →

This week can certainly be a tricky one for some people, especially those creatives amongst us who see potential in so many items. I know myself, I have a stash of fabric and haberdashery that I might use one day. Does this sound like you too? So how do we decide what stays and what goes? The criteria you created during Week 1 of our challenge will assist you in making decisions about your items. If you are new to the challenge, you can see our Week 1 post here. You should also consider the following questions: When was the last time I sewed orRead More →

As the weather continues to cool down, we are less likely to head out for picnics or fire up the BBQ so let’s review this category and freshen everything up before we pack it away for the winter. Decluttering now also means we will have less to pack and store! We will cover all of your picnic items (including baskets, blankets, cutlery, plates, cups, thermos’ and coolers or eskies) as well as bbq tools and the bbq itself. So how do we decide what stays and what goes? As always, the criteria you created during Week 1 of our challenge will assist you in makingRead More →

Our huge 52 week declutter challenge is underway and features a weekly category with an accompanying blog post providing tips and tools for how to get started, what to do with the keepers and transition options for those items that you decide no longer have a place in your home. Below is a handy summary of the weekly categories for every week of our challenge. The blog link will also be posted here when it is available. You can post questions, discuss challenges and share successes on our Facebook page. Happy decluttering! Week 1: DVDs, Video Tapes and CDs – Ditching the discs WeekRead More →

Being the first day of winter, we think about going into hibernation so our great decluttering challenge over the next couple of months will focus on things inside the home including some of the “hard” stuff like paperwork and photographs plus also other categories of items that are less utilised at this time of the year such as gardening tools and picnic/BBQ items. This week in Part 1 of 2 weeks on curating memories, we are tackling one of those challenging categories – photographs, slides, negatives and photo albums. Part 2 will focus on memorabilia but we are leaving that until Week 50 you willRead More →

Whether you are a gardener, home handyman, creator or tinkerer, you need tools for the job. But, how many do you really need and use? Let’s get out into the garage and garden sheds and review our needs. We will look at both powered and non-powered tools, including lawn mowers and the like. At the same time, consider those bottles and bags of nails, screws and little gizmos that we can’t even remember what they were for. So how do we decide what stays and what goes? As we are working on downsizing and moving into a different style of property, our considerations include whatRead More →

This is one category that is often neglected but shouldn’t be as it can have effects on your health. So how do we decide what stays and what goes? To assist you in making decisions about your toiletries is to be guided by the product’s expiry dates. There is no obligation for manufacturers to include an expiry date on cosmetics sold in Australia but most products do expire. As a guide, thanks to Choice, here are dates for some common items: Aerosol products: 2 years Deodorants: Opened 6 months or unopened 3 years Face and body moisturisers: Opened 6 months or unopened 3 years HairstylingRead More →

Stationery, cards and gift wrap are things that we often need right then and there making it more important that we can put our hands on them when we need them. So how do we decide what stays and what goes? One big factor in my decision making is that my extended family (all adults now) have decided not to exchange gifts on birthdays and Christmas and rather just enjoy one another’s company. This has meant that I don’t have much of a need for a stack of birthday cards and wrapping paper on hand any more. The criteria you created during Week 1 ofRead More →

Before the chill of winter hits, let’s clear the decks outside and cull the unwanted, unloved (or too loved) and beyond repair outdoor furniture. Sadly our use of the outdoor spaces at home will start declining, so there is no benefit in leaving surplus items out to deteriorate further in the frost. Our approach will almost mirror what we did last week with our indoor furniture. So how do we decide what stays and what goes? As always, the criteria you created during Week 1 of our challenge will assist you in making decisions about your items. If you are new to the challenge, youRead More →

This week we are tackling our indoor furniture so it is time to take a look around the house (and garage or shed) to see what is used and what isn’t, what it loved, what is functional and what we want consuming out space. I am personally tackling this from the perspective of downsizing to a smaller home in coming months. That sounds relatively straightforward but I know there will be need to be some discussions in our household about what we want to take to our new home, and what style we are going for – will we both agree? We also have aRead More →

We are back in the kitchen and this week is one of my challenging areas – tools and equipment (excluding electrical). We have already culled our utensils so this is more about the baking/cookie trays, cake tins, cookie cutters, cake decorating tools and the like. I love cooking and baking, and have lots of tools to help me do it, including an array of cake decorating equipment and cake tins of many shapes and sizes. I may need Jo’s help with this one! So how do we decide what stays and what goes? As always, the criteria you created during Week 1 of our challengeRead More →

Sheets and mattresses are the challenge for this week. So how do we decide what stays and what goes? As always, the criteria you created during Week 1 of our challenge will assist you in making decisions about your items. If you are new to the challenge, you can see our Week 1 post here. For this particular category, you should also consider the following: How many beds, and of what size, do you have in your home? Do you have sets of sheets that: o have holes or tears; o are never used because you don’t like the fabric or the colour; o don’tRead More →

For a change of pace, let’s get out of the kitchen into the laundry this week and deal with those growing piles of cleaning cloths, the gadgets that looked too good to be true that would clean the house all by themselves and the old mops, brooms etc. So how do we decide what stays and what goes? If you need a refresher, revisit the criteria you created during Week 1 of our challenge to assist you in making decisions about your cutlery and kitchen utensils and give yourself a limit. If you are new to the challenge, you can see our Week 1 postRead More →

Continuing on from last week we are still in the kitchen and it’s time to review all of your coffee and tea cups and drinking glasses (including those for wine and spirits). So how do we decide what stays and what goes? If you need a refresher, revisit the criteria you created during Week 1 of our challenge to assist you in making decisions about your cutlery and kitchen utensils and give yourself a limit. If you are new to the challenge, you can see our Week 1 post here. Consider your lifestyle and ask yourself the following questions: How many people live in yourRead More →

Continuing on from last week with the piles of crockery, serving dishes and platters, we are now moving onto cutlery, kitchen utensils and chopping boards. Don’t worry about BBQ utensils at this stage, we will deal with them in future weeks. Time to pull out that drawer exploding with whisks, tongs and random utensils that seemed like a good idea at the time and pare them back to what you need, what you want, and what you use. So how do we decide what stays and what goes? If you need a refresher, revisit the criteria you created during Week 1 of our challenge toRead More →

After a couple of very challenging weeks focused on your wardrobe, let’s get back into the kitchen and deal with the piles of crockery, serving dishes and platters. I do love to throw a good spread for family and friends and I love to present things nicely but found that I had accumulated many mismatched items over the years, especially in terms of serving dishes and platters and I do like things to go together where possible. I also used to be one of these people who had a dinner set aside for “special occasions” as did my mum, and her mum. So what wouldRead More →

Firstly, please accept my sincere apologies if you are someone who loves handbags and shoes – it is a big mean to do one straight after another, but you are so good at this now! So how do we decide what stays and what goes? Revisit the criteria you created during Week 1 of our challenge to assist you in making decisions about your shoes and set a limit for each sub-category. Your categories might be based on season, function, style or colour, it is really up to you. If they don’t fit, out of (your) style, are damaged beyond repair, unloved (or too loved)Read More →

We started with luggage and backpacks last week and honestly, I have been dreading this week. I don’t think I am a shoe addict, but some (aka my husband) may disagree and also suggest that I have a handbag problem. I don’t necessarily agree with him, but with our big goal of downsizing and making our move as simple as possible I need to revisit my collection, set some limits and be honest about which ones I do and don’t use. My hubby doesn’t get away scot-free this week though as he has a number of wallets. We also have a stash of shopping bagsRead More →

Now that the holidays are over and school is back, it is the perfect time to cull your luggage and backpacks. This should hopefully be a relatively quick and easy week for you, so if you didn’t get through all of your bookshelves last week you can keep going with your books as well (and drop them off to the Lifeline book fair this weekend!). So how do we decide what stays and what goes? If they are damaged, unloved (or too loved) or just haven’t been used in years they should go. If they are collecting dust on a shelf, in the garage orRead More →

Books can be a tricky one for some people as the bookshelf contains so many hopes, dreams, emotions, adventures and memories. There is value in every word on every page, but is it still valuable if the book is left collecting dust for many years? So how do we decide what stays and what goes? Essentially the same as most other categories of items. If they are damaged, unloved (or too loved), incomplete, irrelevant, out-of-date or age inappropriate they should go. If they are collecting dust on a shelf, in the garage or the top of the wardrobe, dust them off and pass them forward.Read More →

In 1997, I purchased a beautifully hand embroidered tablecloth and matching napkins overseas. It is made of fine white cloth and took a beautiful lady around 100 hours to hand stitch the intricate patterns from her wicker chair high in the mountains of Cyprus. It was made with love and she carefully packaged it up for me to take home. At the time I purchased it for my mum who always hosted our family Christmas lunch. The baton, and the tablecloth, was passed to me about 10 years ago and I truly love hosting Christmas as I love the whole planning process and the cooking.Read More →

I don’t know about you, but it in our house if it can go into the dishwasher it usually does. There are no processions of helpers drying dishes (except for those who are coerced on special occasions) or damp tea towels hanging about. I usually only have one tea towel, one hand towel and a couple of dishcloths and potholders in circulation in an ordinary week and it wouldn’t be unusual if the tea towel remained completely unused during that time. And so the question beckons, do I really need that collection of 20+ tea towels consuming space in my linen cupboard? For me, IRead More →

How did you go with toys last week? I have heard some kiddies really got into it, especially when they heard they might be making way for more in the next couple of weeks! Now for the games – board games, card games, computer games, you name it! This is another opportunity to get the kids involved. Provide them with the opportunity to make decisions about their games and also use it as an opportunity to chat with them again about those less fortunate who may not be so lucky this Christmas day. So how do we decide what stays and what goes? Essentially theRead More →

I have made a little change to the schedule and the next two weeks we will be focusing on making way for Christmas, specifically toys and games. This is an opportunity to get the kids involved. Provide them with the opportunity to make decisions about their toys and games and also use it as an opportunity to chat with them about those less fortunate who may not be so lucky this Christmas day. So how do we decide what stays and what goes? Broken, unloved (or too loved), incomplete and age inappropriate toys should go. If you can’t close the door/lid or things keep fallingRead More →

The weather is heating up and we are shedding all the layers so let’s deal with the under layer this week and tidy up those undie and sock drawers so that they can close properly! So how do we decide what stays and what goes? There are some really quick wins you can make with culling your underwear: Elastic is going or gone and you don’t want to risk them falling down while you are on the dance floor at your work Christmas party! (and I am not just talking about your socks here!) There are holes or stains or that old fave is justRead More →

We all like to lighten up heading into summer so let’s take this opportunity to reduce our stash of unused and unloved jewellery and watches. Who knows, it might free us some space for one of those gifts in a nice little box from Santa! So how do we decide what stays and what goes? Ask yourself these questions: Do I love it? When did I last wear it? Does it go well with my wardrobe or taste? Is it functional/working? Has it got a home or do you have room for it? If it isn’t quite that straight forward for you and you haveRead More →

Now that the Melbourne Cup festivities and winter are behind us, and the height of summer sunshine is approaching it is a perfect time to edit your hats and scarves. So how do we decide what stays and what goes? Revisit the criteria you created during Week 1 of our challenge to assist you in making decisions about these items. Additionally, think about whether the item is fulfilling a necessary function. If you have a hat that you can see through when you hold it up to the light whether that is a decorative feature or due to the weight and type of material, itRead More →

Towels are a necessity in every home but we often find that people buy new ones and hang on to the old favourites, or those that have seen better days. If that is the case for you, or you no longer have any order or space in your linen closet, now is the time to attack those towels. How many do you need? That is a common question and it all depends upon your household composition, your lifestyle and also available storage space. There is no one-size-fits-all, but I would suggest the following: Bath towels: 3 per person (that covers one in use, one inRead More →

Throw cushions are often something that people love or hate. The same can’t be said for our sleeping pillows, unless of course they are at either end of their life cycle! Pillows and throw cushions are items which can hang around in your house and fill up your cupboards so it is time to stop fluffing about and cull! So how do we decide what stays and what goes? When was the last time you replaced your pillow? Some sleep experts suggest replacing a pillow every year, others every few years. Some pillows now have an expiry date printed on them or you can writeRead More →

I know that last week’s challenge was a big one so you might be feeling like a break from all of this decluttering (like my cat Sam pictured hiding under a blanket!). I don’t want us to lose momentum, so let’s do a smaller category this week – our doonas, blankets and doona covers. If you whiz through this one and have a little bit of time up your sleeves, you can head back to the clothing category from last week if you haven’t managed to get through it. If you did, yay you! Use the time as “me” time and pamper yourself! So howRead More →

Now that you have got into a bit of a groove let’s really make an impact this week with a big category – clothing! I know it might seem a little daunting, but it is the perfect time to tackle this one as you can also pack your winter clothes away and set up your wardrobe for summertime. Grab your donation bag and get started! So how do we decide what stays and what goes? Revisit the criteria you created during Week 1 of our challenge to assist you in making decisions about your clothes. Now ask yourself, was there any winter clothes taking upRead More →

I hope you managed to lost some layers whilst tackling our overcoats category last week! I let go of three and now have one long coat and one mid-length off at the dry cleaners in preparation for packing them away – such a good feeling! This week we start on one of the easy categories of paper that clutters up our homes – those piles of magazines that collect. I do have a confession to make before we go any further. I love flicking through magazines! They are full of short reads, beautiful imagery, inspiration, puzzles, recipes…..so many opportunities. My favourites include Donna Hay magazinesRead More →